Container



Nov. 24, 1942. am- Ann 2,303,067

vcormwwm Filed Sept. 20, 1939 2 sheet -sheet 1 3w H i Nov. 24, 1942.

' A. H. RICHARD couummz Filed Sept. 20, 1939 2 S heets-S h eet 2 1 Patented Nov. 24, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE This invention relates to improvements in containers, although it is herein denominated as a garbage container. It is to be understood that materials other than this can be handled thereby. But the handling of garbage presents such an annoying problem at times that it has been chosen to dedicate the container primarily to that purpose.

It is a common practice with which virtually every one is familiar to store garbage and similar refuse in cans on the premises, usually on the outside, awaiting periodic collections. These usually occur once or twice a week, and during the times between collections the container is open to attack by dogs and cats which in most instances are successful in upsetting the can and strewing the contents even though a cover is used.

In other instances the garbage receptacle is buried in the ground. The first type is hard to keep covered as has been suggested, and the second type is hard to keep clean. The underlying purpose of the'instant invention is to provide a container which eliminates these objections and both facilitates the putting in of the garbage and the latter dumping thereof at the time of the collection. With this premise in mind the objects of the invention are as follow:

First, to provide a container for garbage, but not necessarily confined to that use, wherein the 1 cover of the tiltable can is hinged to said can on the side which carries the handle for doing the tilting, so that the can outlet is swung in an are away from the operator and thus to avoid the possibility of dumping even a portion of the contents upon his hand.

Second, to provide a container of the foregoing general characteristics wherein the cover has a cam action along a portion of the support to tilt the cover in respect to the can thereby to clear the discharge opening.

Third, to provide a container wherein'the latter effect is obtained by flexibly connecting the cover to the support, thus to simulate said cam action for automatic clearance of the discharge opening when the can is tilted.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a container constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a similar View illustrating the act of dumping.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view illustrating how the supporting post may be set in concrete.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the structure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a front elevation of a container embodying a modified construction.

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Figure 5.

Figure? is a similar view illustrating the act of dumping.

In speaking of the invention as a container reference is made to the entire assemblage consisting of the can I andits support 2. The specific nature of the support for the can may vary as is brought out below, but for the purpose of describing the first form of the invention attention is directed to Figures 1 to 4 wherein the can I is shown to comprise a metal receptacle of cylindrical shape although the can is not necessarily cylindrical. It is usually made of sheet metal, and any choice that may be made in the manufacture is to be regarded as within the purview of the invention. The can I has plates 3 either riveted or welded to opposite sides. These have trunnions '4 which turnably occupy holes 5 in the free ends of a bracket 6 to compose a hinge. The hinge is located adjacent to the opening 1 (Fig. 2) of the can I, and since the points of suspension are thus located off center it follows that the can will gravitate to the position shown in Figure 1.

A handle 8 is attached to the front of the can to be grasped for dumping. A hinge 9 provides the attachment of a cover III to the can. The hinge 9 is located on the same side as the handle 8, in other words at the front of the can. The cover [0 has a handle II which is used for opening the can when the material is dropped thereinto. Said cover has an ear I2 located on the side opposite to the hinge 9 and at a place diametrically opposite to the location of the handle 8. This places the location of the ear I2 on the rear side of the can.

The bracket 6 is forked as seen in Figure 4.. This fork actually comprises a pair of brackets into which the trunnions 4 are set as previously stated. The brackets have flanges I3 which are bolted to the post 2 at M. These bolts are capable of being either loosened or removed thereby to permit spreading or displacement of the brackets 6 for the removal of the cover I when an occasion for that purpose arises.

It is at this point that it is desired to enlarge upon the support of the can l Instead of attaching the brackets 6 to the post 2 it is readily conceivable that these brackets may be attached to the side of a house or somewhere on a back porch. To this end the brackets do not have to be shaped precisely as shown in Figure 4 because any equivalent fork which will rockably support the can I will come within the purview of the intended purpose.

But adhering to the post 2 it is seen in Figure 3 that this is set in concrete at I5. This provides a firm foundation for the post which comprises an angle iron of T-cross section. It consists of vertical and horizontal components, the latter having a bearing surface at l6 which serves an outstanding purpose.

It is seen in Figure 1 that the ear I2 is rounded at I1. This rounded portion bears on the surface l6 of the horizontal component. Now when the can is rocked clockwise (arrow a, Fig. 2) by lifting up on the handle 8 said rounded portion I! will ride the surface l6 and exercise a cam action upon the cover l0, automatically swinging it to the open position (Fig. 2). The material is thus dumped, for example into a receptacle I8, and little, if any, of it will get on the cover l and none of it will fall upon the hand of the operator because the can opens in a direction away from the operator.

The underlying principle of the invention is perpetuated by the modification in Figures 5, 6 and '7. Here the support comprises an arched frame 2 This frame can consist of a length of appropriately heavy metal which is bent into the arch form stated, then bent in such a way as to produce the base l9 (Fig. This base is adapted to be either screwed down upon a support or it may include the pendent flanges 20 which can be set in the ground.

The frame 2 actually is the equivalent of the bracket 6 (Fig.1.) The frame 2 mightbe attached to a house or porch as has been suggested with respect to the bracket 6. The frame 2 has holes 5 in which the trunnions 4 of the plates 3 are set to produce hinges. The cover m is hinged at 9 at the front on the same side as the handle 8 and when the latter is lifted to turn the can I clockwise upon its hinges the cover l0 is auto-- matically swung into the open position in Figure '7.

The means for producing this result is a flexible element 2|. The latter might be a chain as shown or some appropriate equivalent. Its ends are attached to a, ring 22, respectively in the cover Ill and in the arch of the frame 2 In each modification the cover Ill, HI is swung on its hinge meeting with the resistance that is more or less directly attributable to the support.

In Figure 1 it is the riding of the ear I2 on the horizontal component of the post that offers the resistance while in Figure 7 it is the tightening of the element 2| that produces the resistance. In each case the cover is swung back, and inasmuch as the can opens away from the operator it follows that the material will be dumped clean into the receptacle.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described comprising a post having a, lateral arm, a pair of brackets attached to the lateral arm, a container, means for swingingly attaching the container to the brackets, the container swinging means having pivotal connections with the container at each side thereof, a lid hinged to the front of the container, an ear attached to the lid opposite the hinge, resting on the arm and adapted to slide along the lateral arm for causing the lid to be retained in an inoperative position while the container is being reversed in position and emptied.

2. A device of the character described comprising a post having a lateral arm, a pair of brackets attached to the lateral arm, a container, means for swingingly attaching the container to the brackets, a lid hinged to the front of the container, an ear projecting outwardly from the cover at the point diametrically opposite from the hinge and resting on the arm so that when the bottom of the container is moved outwardly from the support the ear will guide the cover over the lateral arm while the open end of the container is being moved away from the cover.

ANTHONY HENRY RICHARD. 

